St John s Hospital: Your child s visit

Transcription

1 St John s Hospital: Your child s visit

2 Contents Welcome NHS Lothian - at your service 3 Preparing to come to hospital 3 What to bring with you 3 Gifts for your child 4 Travel costs 5 How to find us 6 Car parking 6 Outpatient information Your child s appointment 9 Who you will see 9 Student teaching 9 Waiting time 10 Prescriptions for medicines 10 After your visit to hospital 10 Community Children s Nurses 11 Inpatient information What to bring with you 12 The children s ward 12 Who you will see 12 Involvement in care 13 Theatre 13 Playroom and soft play 13 Emergency situations 14 Saying goodbye 14 Visiting times 14 Telephone enquiries 15 Ward facilities 15 Food and refreshments 15 Going home 16 Further questions 16 General information Accident & Emergency services 17 NHS 24 and out-of-hours services 17 Alcohol and illegal drugs 17 Your CHI number 17 Comments, suggestions and complaints 18 Confidentiality - it s your right 18 Fire alarms 19 Health Promoting Hospitals 19 Infection control 20 Interpreting and translating 20 Safety in hospital 20 Smoking ban 21 Spiritual care 21 Telephones and cameras 22 Patient Focus and Public Involvement 23 Useful contacts 25 Map 29 1

3 Welcome Your child has an appointment to be seen or treated at St John s Hospital at Howden, Livingston. We know that coming to hospital can be a stressful time for children and their families and friends. We will do all we can to help your child and to make his or her time in hospital as pleasant as possible. We hope this booklet answers any questions you may have about your child s visit to hospital. Inside the booklet you will find: Information about preparing to come to hospital Outpatient information - for children who have an appointment in one of our outpatient departments or clinics Inpatient information - for children who stay one or more nights in a hospital bed General information about our services and policies. There is also a section on Patient Focus and Public Involvement and a list of useful contacts. If, after reading the booklet, you have further questions about your child s visit, please ask the nurse in charge or any doctor or nurse involved in your child s care. They will be pleased to help you and, if necessary, talk to other members of your family. We are committed to making sure that the care and treatment your child receives is of the highest possible standard. St John s Hospital at Howden, Livingston, EH54 6PP Phone

4 NHS Lothian - at your service NHS Lothian provides healthcare to more than 800,000 people living in Edinburgh, Midlothian, East Lothian and West Lothian. We provide services in some of the finest hospitals in the country. Most NHS care, however, is provided outside of hospitals in community-based settings. That s why we continue to invest in new or refurbished GP practices, health centres and clinics, providing more care closer to people s homes. Wherever you receive your NHS care, we are committed to treating you politely and with dignity and respect at all times, while providing you with patient-focused services and high quality care. Preparing to come to hospital It is helpful to explain to your child about the visit to hospital so that he or she is prepared. You can do this by involving friends in doctor and nurse type games, or reading stories about hospitals (see the suggested reading list on page 25). What to bring with you You are welcome to bring a special toy or game with you, or anything that gives your child comfort. There are supplies of toys and books in our outpatient departments and on the children s ward. Play is important as it helps children to adjust from home and cope with unfamiliar surroundings and events. Food and drink There are refreshment facilities provided by the WRVS throughout the hospital for patients and visitors. These include tea bars and a trolley service. Drinks and snacks are also available from vending machines. If you are visiting an outpatient department, you may want to bring some juice or a snack with you - unless of course you have been told not to give your child anything to eat or drink. A prepared feed for a baby can be warmed on request. 3

5 The Howden Coffee Shop is close to the main entrance and is ideally placed for the convenience of visitors. The opening hours are: Mon-Fri: 9am pm Sat-Sun: 10am pm The dining room and CakeWalk are on the second floor. The dining room offers a full range of hot and cold food. The CakeWalk provides tea, coffee, cakes and sandwiches. The opening times are: Dining room (7 days): 7.30am - 11am (breakfast) 12 noon - 2pm (lunch) 5pm - 7pm (supper) CakeWalk (Mon-Fri): 9am - 4pm For safety reasons, hot food and drinks should not be taken out of café/ dining room areas unless in containers designed for take-away foods. Baby feeds If you are breastfeeding, we would encourage you to continue with this. If you prefer to breastfeed your child in a quiet area, please let the staff know. Baby changing facilities are available and we also have a feeding room if you wish to use this for feeding your baby. Pre-prepared bottled milk is supplied for babies admitted to the children s ward. Gifts for your child Parents, carers and visitors often want to bring gifts for their children while in hospital. This can help make a child s stay in hospital more pleasant. To help us improve your child s health, we ask you not to bring them sweets, sugary snacks, or fizzy or sugary drinks. These damage children s teeth and spoil their appetite. If you wish to bring gifts, fruit, sugar-free sweets, a toy or comics are much healthier choices. Whatever you bring, please let your child s nurse know. Other children on the ward may be on special diets or may not be allowed anything to eat or drink for a period of time, so it is important the staff know what children have with them. 4

6 Shops and facilities There are a number of shops near the main reception area of the hospital. These include a newsagent, estate agent and florist. A cash point is also here. There is also a pharmacy in Howden Health Centre, directly in front of the hospital. Small change and personal belongings You will need small change for telephone calls and vending machines. Please don t leave personal belongings unattended, as we cannot accept responsibility for any property, money or valuables. Electrical equipment For safety and security reasons, please don t bring electrical equipment into hospital. Parent-held records If your child was born after 1st March 1995, you will have been given a child health book for them. Please bring this with you to hospital so that any appropriate information can be entered. Travel costs If you receive certain social security benefits or are on a low income, you may be entitled to help with travel costs to hospital. When you come to hospital, please bring details relating to benefits you receive, and ask for a certificate of attendance from the appropriate ward or department. The completed form should be taken to the Cashier s Office opposite the florist at the main entrance on the ground floor. Open 9.15am pm and 1.30pm pm (Monday to Friday). Please keep your bus or rail tickets. We are unable to reimburse taxi fares. 5

7 How to find us St John s Hospital is in the Howden district of Livingston. If you are travelling to St John s Hospital: By car: When approaching Livingston via the M8, leave the motorway at Junction 3 and, at the roundabout, join the A899 southwards. Follow the road signs marked St John s Hospital (with a white H on a red background). See map on page 29. Car parking The car park (to your right as you drive into the hospital) has approximately 400 parking spaces for use by patients and visitors. There are no car parking charges at St John's Hospital. A telephone helpline is available, which will connect you to portering staff who will advise you of the best area to park. The telephone 6

8 helpline is in front of Outpatient Department 1 (the building on the left as you drive into the hospital). If you need help getting from the car into hospital, please ask the portering staff, who will be happy to help you. Free parking Disabled drivers and Renal and Oncology (including the Macmillan Centre) patients have free parking by buzzing the intercom on arrival. St John s is well served by public transport. For information on bus services to and from the hospital, contact: West Lothian Travel Helpline on (Monday - Thursday, 8.30am - 5pm and Friday 8.30am - 4pm) Traveline Scotland: Phone (open seven days, 8am - 8pm) Or visit the West Lothian Travel website at By train: Sprinter trains serve Livingston from Edinburgh and Glasgow. Livingston North station is the most convenient for the hospital. For information on these services, call: National Rail Enquiries: Phone (open seven days, 24 hours). For information about public transport from the train station to the hospital, phone: Traveline Scotland on Or visit or 7

9 Special transport for older people and disabled people Transport services are available for people who cannot use public transport. These services include wheelchair accessible minibus services such as Handicabs and Dial a Bus. For information about these services, please phone There is also a taxi card scheme that offers taxi travel at reduced rates for disabled people. For further details about this scheme, phone West Lothian Travel Helpline: (concessionary travel information). 8

10 Outpatient information Your child s appointment An appointment has been arranged for your child to attend one of our outpatient departments. If the date and time are not convenient for you, please change it by phoning the number on your appointment letter. To change an appointment, you can also call the Freephone number Your call will give someone else the chance to be seen and will help us keep waiting times to a minimum. Who you will see On the first visit to the clinic, a consultant or a member of his or her team will see your child. If more tests are requested, the doctor or assisting nurse will explain exactly what the tests involve. They will also give you an idea about the length of time these will take and if any discomfort will be caused. If you wish to speak to the doctor in private, a nurse or play leader will be happy to supervise your child or other children. On following visits, you may see the consultant, or another senior doctor (registrar), specialist nurse or therapist, who is currently working with the consultant and who knows about your child s problem or illness. Student teaching St John s Hospital is a teaching hospital that helps to train students from all the healthcare professions, including medicine. An essential part of their training is attending clinics. We will ask you if you agree to students being present during your child s care, or playing a part in caring for your child. By agreeing to this you will be helping us train our future healthcare professionals. But you have the right to refuse and we will respect your decision. 9

11 Waiting time You will have been given an individual appointment time and we will do our best to make sure you are seen on or as near as possible to the booked time. However, there are times when staff can be delayed or called away because of emergencies elsewhere in the 12 hospital. Clinics can also fall behind schedule if there 9 3 are patients who need more time than expected. If your 6 child requires tests or X-rays, this may take some time. Our staff will tell you why there is a delay and give you an idea of how long it might be, if they can. Please speak to the staff in the department if you are concerned about the length of time you are waiting. Prescriptions for medicines If the doctor feels that your child must start a new medicine straight away, you will be given a prescription for a two-week supply. This must be dispensed by the hospital pharmacy. Please be aware that hospital prescriptions cannot be dispensed in community pharmacies (your local chemist). If the medicine does not need to be started at once, the doctor will contact your GP and ask them to write a prescription, which should be taken to a community pharmacy. After your visit to hospital The doctor will write to your GP following your visit, giving information about: Any treatment requested Any further investigations needed If an admission to hospital is proposed. 10

12 Further appointments If the doctor needs to see your child again, you will be asked to make an appointment at the desk before you leave. If the doctor wishes to admit your child in the future, you may be asked to go to the waiting list desk before you leave. Community Children s Nurses Community Children s Nurses provide support, should your child have continuing health care needs. They are qualified children s nurses who will make visits to your home to provide assessment of your child s needs and offer help and support with the management of his or her care. 11

13 Inpatient information What to bring with you Although there are toys and books on the children s ward, you may want to bring a special toy or game with you, or anything that gives your child comfort. Children are welcome to wear their own clothing in hospital. For comfort, we recommend you bring cotton pyjamas/night clothes. Children who go to theatre are given a special theatre gown to wear. Children may wear cotton pyjamas to theatre instead of gowns. If you are staying overnight, remember to pack nightwear, toiletries, a towel and a change of clothing. The wards are warm, so lightweight clothing is more comfortable. For more information on what to bring with you, see the section Preparing to come to hospital on page 3 of this booklet. The children s ward For security reasons, the doors of the children s ward are locked. To enter the ward, press the buzzer outside the doors and wait for a reply. Staff are busy and may not be able to answer the buzzer immediately, so please be patient. On entering or leaving the ward, for security reasons please do not hold the door open for any other visitor who may not have authorised access. Who you will see On the ward, the staff will welcome you and answer any questions you may have about ward routine. Staff from several different specialties may be involved in the care of your child. On the ward, staff wear different colours of epaulettes to help identify them. Staff Nurses wear mid blue, Support Workers wear light blue. Senior Charge Nurses wear a dark blue uniform. 12

14 The team of doctors, led by a Consultant, includes Specialist Registrars, Registrars and Junior Doctors. The Consultants ward round normally takes place between 9am and 11am. As the parent or guardian, before you leave the ward, you will be required to sign consent forms for any operation or treatment your child needs. If children are thought to be capable of making an informed decision, they are entitled to give or refuse permission for certain treatments, tests or operations, under the Age of Capacity (Scotland) Act Please speak to a doctor or nurse if you have any questions about this. Involvement in care We hope during your child s stay in hospital that you feel welcome at all times to assist with his or her care, as it is important for your child for you to be involved. You are welcome to stay with your child during procedures if you wish to. One parent can stay overnight. Although we will endeavour to provide a bed, this is not always possible. If you have any questions about how you can be more involved in your child s care or would like help, please ask the staff caring for your child. Theatre Both parents are welcome to accompany their child down to theatre. However, due to limited space, it is usually only possible for one parent to go through the anaesthetic room. When your child is in recovery, the ward will be notified and both parents are welcome to go and see their child. Playroom and soft play Being admitted to hospital can be a confusing and frightening time for children and parents. For many people, hospital is a strange and unfamiliar environment. 13

15 Play is important as it helps children to adjust from home and cope with unfamiliar surroundings and events (such as being ill and uncomfortable procedures). Children use play to develop physical, intellectual, language, emotional and social skills as well as for distraction. Play staff are available during the day Monday to Friday. Outwith these times, supervised access to the play room / soft play area may be available, by asking the nursing staff. Ward patients are the play staff s priority, but visiting children and siblings may use the facilities with parental supervision at the discretion of the play staff. We do ask that parents encourage and help their children to tidy up when they have finished using these areas. Emergency situations On occasions, children are admitted to the ward requiring emergency treatment and the urgent attention of nursing and medical teams. This can lead to delays and disruption to the normal ward routine. This is unavoidable and we ask you to be patient during these times. Saying goodbye When you need to leave your child, it can be difficult. We suggest you tell the nurses you are about to go, allowing them to comfort your child as necessary. If your child is old enough, explain when you will return. When ready to leave, say goodbye calmly and avoid prolonged farewells as this can be upsetting to both you and your child. Visiting times The ward normally places no restriction on visiting hours for parents/ guardians. If you or your partner is unable to visit on a regular basis, you may like to arrange for a close relative or friend to spend time with your child. We do ask that other visitors, except in exceptional circumstances, visit between 11am and 7pm. We ask that no more than two other visitors are present at any one time. Please use the chairs provided and do not sit on the hospital beds. During winter/flu season visiting is restricted to parents only. 14

16 Telephone enquiries Parents are welcome to telephone at any time of the day or night to ask about their child. We ask that your relatives and friends do not call the hospital unnecessarily, as only limited information can be given to them. It is helpful if you organise a contact relative who can pass on information from yourself to other family members. Ward facilities There is a pay phone available in the ward as well as one at main hospital reception. Toilets are available in each of the bays and side rooms in the ward for patients and visitors. Please feel free to use the facilities in the area your child s bed is in. Food and refreshments Discount meal passes are available for parents of children who are patients on the ward. These allow meals to be bought from the dining room at reduced (staff) prices. Please ask a member of the nursing staff for a voucher if you need one. The dining room opening hours are: Breakfast: 7.30am - 11am Lunch: 12 noon - 2pm Dinner: 5pm - 7pm Children s mealtimes are at: Breakfast: 8am Lunch: 12 noon Dinner: 5pm Children can choose their lunch and dinner daily from a choice of menus. 15

17 Going home If your child is to be discharged from hospital with medications, staff may tell you this during the morning ward round. But you may not be able to leave until your child s prescription is written, processed by our pharmacy staff and received by the ward mid-afternoon. If you have any questions, please ask the nursing staff. You may find that your child is unsettled and difficult for a while after a stay in hospital. He or she may cling to you and cry if left alone. These are normal reactions to having been away from home and the family. Try to be patient with your child and give the extra love and attention he or she may need. Further questions Our nursing staff will be happy to help you with any further questions you may have. You may contact the ward by writing to: Children s Ward, St John s Hospital at Howden Livingston EH54 6PP or phone

18 General information Accident & Emergency services Accident and Emergency (A&E) teams at St John s Hospital, the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh and the Royal Hospital for Sick Children treat emergencies or patients with serious injuries. A&E is not an alternative to your GP, so please don t go to A&E if your doctor can t see you immediately or when your GP surgery is closed. NHS 24 and out-of-hours services NHS Lothian s out-of-hours service makes sure you have access to healthcare treatment and advice at nights, weekends and public holidays when GP surgeries and health centres are closed. If you need urgent health advice that cannot wait until your GP surgery is open, you can access Lothian s outof-hours service through NHS 24 on If you think you need an emergency ambulance, call 999. Alcohol and illegal drugs You must not bring alcohol or illegal drugs into hospital. Drinking alcohol or taking illegal drugs in our hospital buildings or grounds is forbidden. Any visitor or parent found to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or who is posing a hazard to children, staff or themselves, will be asked to leave the hospital. We may call the police. Your CHI number Every patient registered with a GP in Scotland has been given a unique Community Health Index (CHI) number. Using the CHI number means we can accurately identify patients at every stage of their care - no matter who is treating them or where they are being treated. The CHI number will be used on all clinical communication, including patient appointment, referral and clinic letters. Please make a note of your CHI number and keep it in a handy place so that you can quote the number if asked for it by NHS staff. 17

19 Comments, suggestions and complaints We hope that the care your child receives during your visit to hospital is of the highest quality. We welcome your comments on services. Your compliments, suggestions and comments help us improve the services we provide. You can discuss any suggestions or comments with the doctor and nurses in the department. If you do not wish to talk to the staff involved with your child s care, you can write to the Patient Liaison Officer, St John s Hospital, Livingston, EH54 6PP, or phone For more information, ask staff for a copy of a leaflet called Making a Complaint about the NHS. Confidentiality - it s your right The NHS must keep your personal health information confidential. This is your right. It includes your name, address or date of birth and information about any care and treatment you have received. The information is kept in your medical case record folder and/or held on computer. Health records are stored securely in different parts of the NHS. Sharing personal health information For the purpose of your child s present and future medical treatment, details of your child s medical care will be recorded. To ensure your child is cared for properly, our staff will share relevant information with other NHS staff involved in your care. This makes caring for your child safer, easier and faster. The information will not be available or shared with anyone who is not looking after your child directly. This is called the need to know principle. We may share some of your child s personal information with those staff outside the NHS who work closely with us to provide care and support, such as in social work and education services. We will always ask you for permission to share this information. If you agree, relatives, friends and carers can also be kept up to date with the progress of your child s treatment. 18

20 Your rights You have the right to know how your child s personal health information is used. You can ask a member of staff providing your child s care. You have the right to see your child s health records and, if you choose, to get a copy. To do this, you should contact the Records Department in the hospital or service you attended, or the practice manager in your GP practice. They will explain how to access your child s health record and can arrange to have any parts of the record that you do not understand explained to you. If you think any of the information in the record is wrong, incomplete or out of date, you can ask to have the record changed. You have the right to object to us using or sharing your child s health information. You can also ask us to change or restrict the way we use the information. We are obliged to agree if it is possible to do so. Where we have a legal duty to provide information about health - for example, to report certain infectious diseases for public health reasons - this information must be provided. To obtain written information about your rights, visit the Health Rights Information Scotland website at Fire alarms In the event of the fire alarm sounding, please follow the advice of staff. For your own safety, do not use the lifts at this time. Health Promoting Hospitals St John s Hospital and the Royal Hospital for Sick Children (RHSC) are part of the World Health Organisation s Health Promoting Hospitals (HPH) network. Children s hospitals across Europe are working together to improve children s health and the RHSC co-ordinates the children s hospital HPH network in Scotland and England. 19

21 Infection control We are doing our best to reduce the spread of Healthcare Associated Infections (HAIs) such as MRSA (Meticillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus). MRSA mainly spreads from one person to another by hand contact, so washing your hands thoroughly is one of the best ways to beat it. We provide alcohol hand gel at hospital ward entrances for staff, patients and visitors. Interpreting and translating Professional interpreting and translating services are available. Please make sure staff know what your requirements are, either before your child comes to hospital or when you bring them to hospital. Safety in hospital Our staff have the right to work without fear of assault or abuse. They are dedicated to providing children with the highest standards of care and expect to be treated politely and with respect. We will not tolerate any verbal or physical abuse against staff, volunteer workers, patients or visitors. We will take appropriate action in any situation where violent or aggressive behaviour is shown towards people or property. 20

22 Smoking ban Smoking is not allowed in our buildings or grounds, due to the national ban on smoking in public places and our own Tobacco Policy. The ban on smoking in public places, launched across Scotland on 26 th March 2006, makes it illegal to smoke in any public place that is fully or substantially enclosed. This includes NHS buildings and areas on NHS property, such as covered walkways and doorway entrances. Anyone found smoking in an area covered by the ban faces a 50 fine. NHS Lothian s Tobacco Policy includes other areas near NHS Lothian buildings where smoking is banned. These include NHS Lothian grounds and areas near entrances, doorways and windows. If you need help to stop smoking, FREE advice is available from: SMOKELINE or from your local pharmacist or GP. For details of stop smoking support, visit and click on the stop smoking section on the home page. Spiritual care Hospital Chaplains provide spiritual care to children and their families. Spiritual care is completely person-centered and makes no assumptions about personal beliefs or lifestyle. It is not necessarily religious. The Spiritual Care Service is open to everyone, to people of all faiths and to those who have no religious beliefs. Many people value the support of a sensitive listener who is able to spend time with them when they are in hospital. This is part of the work of a Hospital Chaplain. If you would like the leader of your own faith community to visit you in hospital, the chaplain can contact them on your behalf. If you or your child would like to see or talk to a Chaplain, please ask a member of staff to contact a Chaplain for you. You can telephone the Spiritual Care Service on There is always a Chaplain available, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 21

23 Telephones and cameras Mobile phones may be used in some areas of the hospital at the discretion of the ward or area manager and subject to certain conditions. Mobile phones must be used with consideration for others and should be set to ring in silent or discreet mode. Patients and relatives are advised to use mobile phones outside clinical areas. Mobile phones must not be placed on or against medical devices and cannot be used in areas where there is a risk that they will interfere with critical medical equipment. The areas where it is inappropriate for mobile phones to be used are signposted and we would ask patients and visitors to abide by these rules. For reasons of patient confidentiality, cameras and camera facilities on mobile phones cannot be used in patient areas or other parts of the hospital. There are public telephones on the ground floor of St John s Hospital next to the Howden Coffee Shop; outside Outpatients Department 3 and in the corridor by the 2 nd floor restaurant. Please bring change with you to use these phones. 22

24 Patient Focus and Public Involvement Patient Focus means involving you when you are a patient in discussions and decisions about your care and treatment; responding sensitively to your individual needs, background and circumstances of your life (whether you are a patient or a carer); treating you as an individual and ensuring that you are involved in your care. Public Involvement means involving you (whether as a patient, carer or member of the public) in how we plan and deliver services and develop policies and strategies, and working with our partners in local authorities, the voluntary sector and other community groups when we plan our services and develop our policies. How you could make a difference Across NHS Lothian, there are opportunities for patients and the public to help further improve how we plan our services and care for you. For more information, write to: The Patient Forum, St John s Hospital, Livingston, West Lothian EH54 6PP. Phone or patient.forum@wlt. scot.nhs.uk The Patient and Public Partnership Network, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, 51 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4SA. Phone Family Council, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, 9 Sciennes Road, Edinburgh EH9 1LF. Phone For more information on patient focus and public involvement, visit our website at and click on the get involved link. Community Health Partnerships and Public Partnership Forums Community Health Partnerships (CHPs) provide or help co-ordinate a wide range of community-based health services, delivered in the community in homes, health centres and clinics and in some of NHS Lothian s smaller hospitals. 23

25 CHPs provide a focus for the integration between primary care and specialist services, and with social care, and ensure that health improvement is placed at the heart of both service planning and delivery. NHS Lothian has four CHPs. In West Lothian, the Community Health and Care Partnership (CHCP) is a joint partnership for a range of services with West Lothian Council. West Lothian CHCP Strathbrock Partnership Centre, 189a West Main Street, Broxburn, West Lothian EH52 5LH Phone info@westlothianchcp.org.uk Website: Edinburgh CHP St Roque, Astley Ainslie Hospital, 133 Grange Loan, Edinburgh, EH9 2HL Phone info.edinburghchp@lpct.scot.nhs.uk East Lothian CHP Edenhall Hospital, Pinkieburn, Musselburgh EH21 7TZ Phone info.eastlothianchp@lpct.scot.nhs.uk Midlothian CHP Dalkeith Medical Centre, St Andrew s Street, Dalkeith EH22 1AP Phone Public Partnership Forums CHPs have created Public Partnership Forums (PPFs) to help ensure that patients have a greater say in how we plan and deliver health services. To find out more about the PPFs and how to become a member, contact the relevant CHP or phone the PPF Patient Involvement Worker in your area: West Lothian PPF - phone North Edinburgh PPF - phone South Edinburgh PPF - phone East Lothian PPF - phone Midlothian PPF - phone

26 Useful contacts Action for Sick Children (ASC) Action for Sick Children (Scotland) is a charity dedicated to informing, promoting and campaigning on behalf of the needs of all children and young people within our healthcare system. Its work includes: working with others to ensure that health services are planned for children and young people in child-centred environments with appropriate ratios of trained staff informing young people, parents and carers of their rights and responsibilities; empowering them to participate in decisions about treatment and care raising awareness and representing children s needs and concerns within government, healthcare committees and other nongovernment organisations promoting high quality of health care services at home and in hospital, while working to obtain equality of services and access across Scotland. The national office address is: Action for Sick Children (Scotland), 22 Laurie Street, Edinburgh EH6 7AB. Phone enquiries@ascscotland.org.uk or visit The National Co-ordinator is based in this office and can be contacted Monday to Thursday from 9am to 5pm. The charity can also advise on books and reading lists for children and families. Here is a selection of recommended books: Going to the Hospital: Civardi & Cartwright, Usborne. Maisie goes to Hospital: Aileen Patterson. Topsy and Tim go to Hospital: J&G Adamson. Blackie. Pingu the Doctor: BBC Children s Books. Crocodile Tears: Marjorie-Ann Watts. Hodder. A Big Operation: Richard Scarry. Harper Collins. 25

27 The Lettermen go to Hospital: Roger Knights. Henderson. Your Operation: Maureen Campbell. Stass. The Hospital Highway Code: D Kimpton. Piccolo. Coming into Hospital: A guide for families. ASC. When your Child is Sick: (in various languages) ASC. Needles: Helping to take away the fear. ASC. Children and Pain: ASC. Teenagers in Hospital: ASC. Advocacy services Advocacy is helping people to speak up for themselves, speaking on their behalf, with their permission, or helping groups speak up about issues that concern them. Partners in Advocacy provides individual and group advocacy to children, young people and adults with learning disabilities in Edinburgh and the Lothians. Write to Unit 17, John Cotton Business Centre, 10 Sunnyside, Edinburgh EH7 5RA. Phone or Edinburgh@partnersinadvocacy.org.uk Carers support Carers of West Lothian provides a range of services to help carers in all caring situations. Write to the Carers Centre, Strathbrock Partnership Centre, 189a West Main Street, Broxburn, EH52 5LH. Phone office@carers-westlothian.com or contact Signpost Signpost is a parent-led organisation that offers information and support to families of young people with additional needs in West Lothian. Contact the office at Beatlie Campus, Craigshill, Livingston by phoning or enquiries@signpost-online.co.uk Hospital radio Radio Grapevine broadcasts to patients in St John s Hospital. Phone (extension if using a hospital internal phone) or studio@radiograpevine.com 26

28 Lothian NHS Board Lothian NHS Board oversees NHS healthcare services in Lothian. It is based at Deaconess House, 148 Pleasance, Edinburgh, EH8 9RS. Phone For more information on NHS Lothian, visit our website at NHS Health Desk The NHS Help Desk provides a wide range of health promotion literature and information about medical disorders, including contact details of national and local support groups. The Health Desk is at Unit 16a Almondvale Centre (next to Post Office/Asda), Livingston. Phone NHS Helpline The NHS Helpline gives information about health services on Freephone This confidential service is open every day from 8am to 10pm. 27

29 Scottish Health Council (Lothian office) The Scottish Health Council is an independent body set up by the Scottish Executive to ensure that the views of patients and the public are properly taken into account by NHS Boards. The Scottish Health Council Lothian office is at Stevenson House, 555 Gorgie Road, Edinburgh, EH11 3LG. Phone Scottish Public Services Ombudsman The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) provides an independent, impartial and free one-stop-shop for individuals making complaints about organisations providing public services in Scotland. It normally considers complaints only after they have been through the formal complaints process of the organisation concerned. The SPSO is at 4 Melville Street, Edinburgh EH3 7NS. Write to: Freepost EH641, Edinburgh EH3 OBR. Phone / fax: ask@spso.org.uk or visit the website at: Signpost Signpost provides information and support to young people with special needs and their families in West Lothian. Phone or enquiries@signpost-online.co.uk SNIP SNIP (the Special Needs Information Point) is a parent-led voluntary organisation based at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Edinburgh. It provides information, advice, emotional support and advocacy to families of children with additional support needs. This means anything that causes a child to need extra care, such as epilepsy, migraine, asthma, cerebral palsy, etc. There might not even be a diagnosis of your child s condition, but there may still be services available to help. To contact SNIP, phone the helpline on There is also a 24-hour answering machine, so you can leave a message. SNIP s website is at 28

30 29 Road plan showing route to St John s Hospital at Howden through Livingston from Junction 3 on the M8

31 Every effort has been made to ensure that the information in this booklet was accurate at the time of going to Press - December NHS Lothian. This booklet should not be copied or reproduced without permission of NHS Lothian. Designed by Graphics Lab, Learning Technology Section, The University of Edinburgh. 30

32 This booklet is on the NHS Lothian website at For a copy in larger print, Braille, or your community language (Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, Urdu or Polish), please call and quote reference number